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Los Angeles Clippers’ Free Agents: Who Should Stay And Who Should Go

By Cameron Stewart

May 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after a dunk against Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Rockets 128-95 to take a 3-1 lead. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

DeAndre Jordan 

The Clippers’ top priority this offseason is to bring back DeAndre Jordan. Jordan’s game continued to improve this season and it shows in his accomplishments. Jordan made his first appearance on the All-NBA Third Team, All-Defensive First Team, and brought home his second straight rebounding title by averaging an astonishing 15 rebounds per game.

Much has been made about his lack of offensive skill and his historically bad free throw shooting, but elite rim protectors and rebounders with Jordan’s combination of height and athleticism don’t grow on trees.

Head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers knows this and has been Jordan’s biggest fan, even comparing his defense to that of all-time great Bill Russell and campaigning for Jordan’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy. Rivers has been transparent about his intentions of bringing Jordan back for the long run.

Jordan is an unrestricted free agent, but the Clippers hold the trump card with the five-year max offer that only they can offer Jordan. A max deal from the Clippers would be in the ballpark of $109 million over five years while the most any other team could offer would be around $81 million over four years.

Critics argue that it would be foolish to give a player with as limited of an offensive game as Jordan’s a max deal, but the Clippers don’t have much of an alternative to contend right away. If they let Jordan walk, they will still be over the salary cap with only a mid-level exception and minimum contracts to replace Jordan and provide Chris Paul and Blake Griffin with the supporting cast needed to win a title. That scenario simply isn’t realistic.

By bringing back Jordan at the max, the Clippers will be paying three max-level players and will be once again near the top of the league’s biggest spenders. Owner Steve Ballmer is one of the world’s richest men in the league’s premier market, which eases the pain of paying the vaunted repeater’s tax. Plus, the salary cap hike of 2016 is coming, which could make Jordan’s signing a bargain of a deal and give the Clippers the flexibility to add more pieces after next season.

At the very least, re-signing Jordan will add a few more years of plays like these.

Next: Austin Rivers

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